LOS ANGELES, CA – Today, John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate for the United States and former Secretary of State, and California Governor Gavin Newsom joined Ministers of the Environment and representatives from Canada, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Uruguay, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and more – endorsers of the Global Methane Pledge – at a Summit of the Americas reception hosted by the Global Methane Hub. Since the Global Methane Pledge was announced in October, over 110 countries have committed to reduce methane emissions by more than 30% by 2030 including the United States, member nations of the European Union, and Mexico, Japan, Brazil, Pakistan, Argentina, among others.
Today, the Global Methane Hub welcomed the Pledge’s latest endorsers Trinidad & Tobago and Saint Lucia. In addition to the expansion of Pledge members, the Global Methane Hub announced plans to support a mission to deploy a NASA aircraft to measure and mitigate methane emissions in Latin America. This is the first systematic use of the NASA aircraft outside of the United States that will be used for methane reduction efforts – representing a monumental step forward for Latin America in the fight to slash methane emissions.
“It’s clear from today’s convening that leaders and changemakers from across the Americas are up to the task of fighting climate change, and I’m humbled by their collective commitment to expedite methane reduction,” said Marcelo Mena, CEO of the Global Methane Hub who earlier served as Chile’s Minister of Environment (2014-18). “I’m honored to lead the Global Methane Hub and support countries to identify new solutions and ambitious policies, race to implement them effectively and efficiently, and chart a new path forward that will secure our planet’s longevity for this and future generations to come.”
The Global Methane Hub is a first-of-its-kind international alliance of more than 20 leading philanthropies and organizations that have committed over $300 million towards supporting all nations, in addition to the Global Methane Pledge signatories, in the development and implementation of tangible methane reduction solutions. Since the Hub launched in February of this year, they have released $20M in grants to support methane mitigation efforts across the world.
“As the region with the greatest participation level in the Global Methane Pledge, Latin America and the Caribbean are showing incredible leadership and action in delivering the methane reductions we need to keep 1.5C within reach. We appreciate the strong support of the Methane Hub in helping countries deliver on actions to support the Global Methane Pledge,” said Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change John Kerry.
“Later is too late to act on climate change, and addressing the effects of methane emissions must be a top priority for every government – reducing pollution in our communities and transitioning away from fossil fuels. California is proposing an all-of-the-above approach, from launching satellites that will track methane emissions throughout the world to plugging idle wells,” said Governor of California, Gavin Newsom. “As we’ve seen right here in California, these oil wells present the risk of leaking at any moment. We’re encouraged by these global partnerships to tackle this problem together, for the benefit of all nations.”
“Cutting methane emissions is the best strategy we have to reduce global warming in the near term and avoid passing irreversible climate tipping points, which is why convenings like this from the Global Methane Hub are so important,” said Jonathan Banks, Global Director, Super Pollutants at Clean Air Task Force. “Clean Air Task Force is pleased to see governments across the Americas showcase their ambition under the Global Methane Pledge at the Summit of the Americas, and we look forward to supporting them as they turn that ambition into action. Nearly every country in the Americas has now shown their support for the pledge, demonstrating the regions’ commitment to tackling the climate crisis and seizing the opportunity to secure a near term climate win through methane mitigation.”
Methane is more than 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. At least 25% of today’s warming is driven by methane from human actions, with the oil and gas industry, livestock and landfills being the heaviest emitters. Reducing methane emissions is the single most effective way to rapidly slow global temperature rise. While countries have had their own methane reduction strategies for some time, The Global Methane Hub’s efforts are the first-ever coordinated and unified approach to drive ambition, funding, and actionable solutions to the growing crisis of methane emissions in the atmosphere.
Funding from The Global Methane Hub supports and sustains action from civil society, government, and private industry. In April, the Global Methane Hub donated $10 million to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), which will assist 30 countries with developing plans to reduce their methane emissions, including technical support to estimate emissions, identify mitigation options, and design policies to meet those goals. Other initiatives are already underway, with the development of sector-based strategies for waste, agriculture, and fossil fuels. Moreover, the Global Methane Hub is currently forming a comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework for strategy and grantmaking applications. This approach will focus on monitoring performance, evaluating activities, and supporting continuous learning.